Another Path
by LadyTilBug
Summary: My take on what would have happened if Zack survived.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own them ...if I did Zack would be alive...Like in my story!

Another Path

Zack groaned. His chest hurt, it burned. Every breath sent fire through his body. Why did it hurt? He could not remember. He felt a slight pressure on his shoulder but tried to ignore it. God, his bed had gotten stiff over the years, it almost felt as if he was sleeping on a road, grave sticking painfully into his back. Maybe he could switch mattresses with Cloud without him knowing, although Clouds mattress probably wasn't any better.

"Zack."

Zack groaned again. Of all the days Cloud needed help with his homework he had to choose the only day Zack felt like shit.

"Normally I would be dying to help you Spiky, but I don't feel so well." Zack began, trying his best to push thoughts of sleep from of his mind.

"Why don't you just read the question to me?"

There was a brief pause, most likely Cloud grabbing the text book, except there was no rustle of pages. Maybe Cloud could tell he didn't feel well and had planned accordingly. Smart of him.

"What? Zack, you've been shot." Came Cloud's confused reply.

Zack went still for a moment. He was shot? He snapped open his eyes only to close them again as the sun hit his retinas.

"Ah!"

He tried to move his hand to cover his eyes but felt the pressure intensify until his arm was immobile. He moved his other hand to his face and opened his eyes cautiously. He blinked a few times to clear his vision. A hot mid day sun stared down on him, heating his body. As near as he could tell it appeared that he was lying on what appeared to be the side of a road, but as to what road Zack could only guess. He glanced over at his other arm. It turned out the pressure he felt was Cloud holding his arm down to the ground, but for what reason was a loss to Zack. Cloud looked frazzled, his eyes blood shot as if he had been crying.

"You alright there Spiky?" Zack asked not bothering to hide the concern in his voice.

Had Cloud been shot as well? As far as he could tell from outward appearances the boy appeared to be fine.

Cloud gave him the biggest smile Zack was sure he had ever seen since meeting the boy.

"Yep."

Zack nodded his head, relived. He laid his head back onto the ground, rubbing at his eyes. He could feel a headache forming behind his eyes. So what had happened? Were they on a mission that had gone bad? If that was so where was the rest of the team? Were Cloud and himself the only survivors? He couldn't remember anything.

"Good. So, what the hell happened?"

Cloud's face quickly slipped into a frown, blue eyes narrowing, inspecting his face closely.

"You don't remember?" Cloud asked after a moment.

Zack thought for a moment. He supposed it was logical that he should know how he ended up in his current state. He remembered pain. Pain where did that come from? He remembered needles, Cloud's limp body falling down onto a cold steel floor. He remembered fighting, finding a trucker to give them a ride into town. He had seen the reflection of a sniper rifle. _Cloud, look out_. He remembered feeling a searing pain in his shoulder, more pain, and then darkness.

"Huh."

Cloud narrowed his eyes worriedly. He did not like the look on his friends face, it was too dark, his eyes had dulled momentarily and the smile was gone. The memories of the past few days were no doubt returning to him. After a few minutes of waiting for a reply Cloud broke his friend from his thoughts.

"Zack?"

Zack turned his head back to Cloud.

"What's that Spiky?"

"Do you think you could sit up?"

Zack glanced down his body. He could see large blood stains formed on his shirt, but he could not feel anything.

"Cloud?"

"Yes?"

"Cloud how many times was I shot?"

Cloud swallowed, trying to still the rising bile he felt as he remembered first exaimining his friend.

"Four."

Zack raised an eyebrow curiously. Four times, and he had survived? Must not have been good shots.

"Why can't I feel any of them?"

"Well, I suppose we should think about heading in to town."

Cloud nodded in agreement.

"Do you think we should wait for dusk?" Cloud asked, eying the sky.

It was midday, Cloud guessed around three or four, meaning they would only have to wait four or five more hours.

"Most likely, but I miss my girlfriend."

Cloud glanced over at his friend.

"You're willing to risk your life just to get to your girlfriend a few hours early?"

Cloud asked incredulously. As soon as the question had left his mouth Cloud knew the answer. It was Zack, of course he would.

Zack smiled, cautiously stretching his limbs. He could still feel the pain, but whatever Cloud had given him had taken the edge off.

"You have obviously never been in love Spiky."

Cloud's cheeks turned pink briefly, averting his eyes from his friend.

Zack gave a laugh.

"I know, I know Tifa."

Zack turned his gaze back to his friend. He had planned to say more, but the look on his friends face stilled his words. Mako enhanced blue eyes stared at him unshed tears filling them up, sickly sweet smile lingering on his lips.

"Cloud, what's the matter?"

Cloud shook his head and cleared his throat.

"I just thought I would never hear you laugh again."

Zack felt his chest tighten. He had been that far off? He slowly approached his friend and clapped a hand onto his friends shoulder.

"I'm not going anywhere Spiky."

Cloud smiled.

"Besides, even if I did die, you know I would haunt you."

Cloud rolled his eyes, turning to head down the path. He heard Zack follow his a second later.

"You'd be sitting in the toilet and suddenly hear cackling and you wouldn't know why. People will think you had lost your marbles."

Cloud sighed for good measure, but the smile never left his face.

"Tifa would even set you up in a home. You'd draw pictures of me like that kid did in The Ring."


	2. Chapter 2

Cloud watched Zack walk wearily from a few steps behind .The two of them had been walking for the last five hours straight, despite Cloud's instance that the other man stop and take a break. Zack insisted that he was fine. He had told him he had waited five years for this day and he would be damned in a few bullets held him back. The idiot.

Cloud could see it was wearing the other man down. He had contemplated jumping the other man, forcing him to rest. He would have hours ago if it wasn't for the fact Zack was a first class soldier. He had seen what happened when you snuck up on a wounded first class. It handed bloody and with the loss of a hand. Cloud felt his hands tingle at the memory. Perhaps in a few more hours when Zack was truly drained he could take him down.

"Stop staring spiky, your eyes are drilling holes in the back of my head."

Cloud continued to glare at his friends head without comment. At this rate the man would be dead when they finally reached his prized beloved. They had reached the boarder some time ago. Now they were searching for what remained of their shattered lives, for Zack that meant tracking down a certain flower stand.

Zack suddenly came to a stop, his hands moving to his hips as he surveyed the street before him.

"Do you think she would have moved?"

Cloud came to a halt beside his friend and shrugged.

"It's been five years….. something could have happened I suppose."

Zack sighed shooting a glance over at the shorter blonde.

"The answer you were supposed to give was 'no she will be right where you left her'"

Cloud raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry."

Zack patted his shoulder affectionately.

"It's alright, but don't let it happen again."

Cloud rolled his eyes as the raven haired man began to walk again. Screw tackling the man, he could just shoot his kneecaps out.

"We should rest."

Zack shook his head, eyeing store fronts as they passed them.

"We'll rest when we're dead."

Cloud felt anger boil up in him at his friend's offhanded comment. Rest when they were dead, did the idiot not realize that only hours ago he was?

"So I guess you got all the rest you needed when your heart stooped up on that hill you ass!"

Zack stopped abruptly quickly wheeling around to face his friend. He put his hands out in a sign of surrender.

"Wow, calm down there Spiky."

He quickly walked back over to where Cloud stood placing a hand on his friends shoulder, frowning as he felt the tense muscles beneath.

"Do you need to rest?" He asked worriedly.

Cloud let out an exasperated sigh, shrugging of Zack's hand as he began to walk again.

"Fine." He spoke angrily. "If you die I suppose I can just drag your lifeless ass to your girlfriend's door."

Zack smiled broadly taking a few quick steps to fall into step beside his friend.

"That's the spirit!"

Cloud groaned. He should have drugged Zack when he had had the chance.

"By the way spiky ….. why this sudden obsession with my ass."

Cloud groaned again. This was going to be a long day. Suddenly his eyes caught sight of a rotted sign. As he walked closer it appeared to be part of a store front. The store itself looked trashed, rot and mold covered the floor. His eye landed on a red for sale sign taped to the front window.

'_We're going to open a store that does everything'_

Cloud stared farther into the store. He could almost see himself and Zack walking around fixing the shop up.

"Are we really going to open a store?"

Zack glanced over his shoulder at the younger man. He had noticed that Cloud had stopped following him.

"What was that?"

Cloud read the for sale sign, his eyes taking in the price. Pretty expensive for such a run down piece of real-estate.

"On the truck, you said we were going to open a shop."

Zack frowned. That sounded familiar but he could not recall details. Did Cloud really want to open up a shop with him? He shrugged.

"Sure." He said happily. "We'll open up a store."

He walked closer to his friend, his eyes finally seeing what had caught Cloud's attention.

"We'll buy this shop."

Cloud quickly turned to glance at his friend.

"What, how? We have no money."

Zack smiled wrapping an arm around his friend's shoulders.

"That's what you think."

He turned Cloud around and began walking down the street again. Cloud stood still for a moment reviewing the conversation in his head before running to catch up with his friend.

When his friend refused to elaborate Cloud questioned.

"What money Zack?"

Zack turned his head to his friend a blank expression n his face.

"What money?" Cloud repeated.

"Oh."

Zack smiled broadly.

"I had Aerith cash my paycheck and put my money in a joint account."

Cloud raised an eyebrow.

"You gave Aerith all your money?" He asked surprised.

Zack nodded his head.

"We wanted to save up enough money for our wedding."

Cloud smiled.

"Married?" He repeated.

Zack nodded.

"Also need to buy a ring."

Cloud slapped his friend in his back.

"You need a house too."

Zack came to a stop suddenly. Cloud frowned.

"What's wrong?"

Zack's eyes were trained to something in front of them. Cloud followed his friend's eyes smiling as they came to land on a flower stand. A lone figure stood by the stand, her back facing the two of them. A tall brunet woman dressed all in pink. Zack appeared to not be breathing.

"She looks just like I remember." He breathed.

Cloud smiled. He nudged his friend forward.

"Talk to her."

Zack nodded, his hands moving to straighten his uniform. It was a futile gesture considering his uniform was covered in blood. Slowly he approached the woman a hand extending to touch her shoulder. He paused suddenly. Something did not look right.

The women sensing somebody behind her quickly turned.

Zack could not help the frown that formed on his lips as the face of a stranger greeted him. The women smiled kindly at him.

Suddenly a musical voice reached his ear.

"Zachary?"


End file.
